TW201509361A - Dual-view probe for illumination and imaging, and use thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is directed to an imaging probe which comprises a first element supplying electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a forward field of view of space in front of the probe, a second element supplying electromagnetic radiation in a rearward path for illuminating a back field of view of space alongside the probe and an image sensor. The probe further includes an imaging device in imaging paths imaging the forward and back fields of view onto the image sensor. Preferably the forward path, the rearward path and the imaging paths are unobstructed by any component of the probe. Preferably the forward and back fields of view are registered in a fixed spatial relationship relative to one another on the image sensor. This probe can also be used with existing endoscopes or laparoscopes so that it will be easily merged into current instruments of different manufacturers, making it easier and cheaper to use this product without the expense of a totally new endoscopy or laparoscope platform.

Description

Dual vision probe for illumination and imaging and its use

The present invention is directed to a novel dual vision probe design that includes front and rear illumination and imaging and methods of using the probe. In some embodiments, the probe provides omni-directional and multi-mode capabilities and can help detect lesions or other structures that are hidden from view or invisible to the front view.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States and colonoscopy is a preferred screening procedure in which approximately 12 million procedures are performed each year. See Peery AF, Dellon ES, Lund J, et al., Burden of gastrointestinal disease in the United States: 2012 update, Gastroenterology, November 2012; 143(5): pages 1179 to 1187. However, standard colonoscopy is far from perfect, because the standard front-view endoscope does not visualize the polyps hidden by the colonic folds and folds of the colon as shown in Figure 1, where (a) the front shows no polyps. Unless the tip of the endoscope is sharply bent and looks backwards, it is usually impossible, and (b) the polyp hidden behind the fold is easily seen. More than 20% of polyps during colonoscopy may be missed and some of these lead to unexpected cancers.

The lesion was missed because it was hidden from view by i) hiding; and ii) because it had poor color contrast. New methods of improved visualization, such as wide-angle colonoscopy, computer-assisted colonoscopy, Aer-O-Scope, and Third Eye Retroscope (TER), have not continued to improve polyp detection and have not been clinically accepted. See e.g., Arber N, Grinshpon R, Pfeffer J, Maor L, Bar-Meir S, Rex D, Proof-of-concept study of the Aer-O-Scope TM omnidirectional colonoscopic viewing system in ex vivo and in vivo porcine models , Endoscopy, May 2007; 39(5): 412-417; Rex DK, Third Eye Retroscope: Rationale, Efficacy, Challenges, Rev Gastroenterol Disord, Winter 2009; 9(1): Page 1 To page 6; Waye JD, Heigh RI, Fleischer DE et al, A retrograde-viewing device improves detection of adenomas in the colon: a prospective efficacy evaluation (with videos), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, May 2010; 71 (3) : 551th to 556th. There is an unmet need for an easy-to-use endoscope or endoscopic probe that can be easily incorporated into current endoscopes to improve lesion detection, inhibit more cancer, and extend screening intervals. There is also a need to provide a posterior and/or lateral field of view during medical procedures including laparoscopic surgery, robotic arthroscopy, and imaging of a body cavity such as the paranasal sinus.

Prior art designs for solving the above problems suffer from blockage by the detector optics partially blocking the illumination or illumination optics partially blocking the detector. See Waye JD, Heigh RI, Fleischer DE et al, A retrograde-viewing device improves detection of adenomas in the colon: a prospective efficacy evaluation (with videos), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, March 2010; 71(3): 551 Pages to page 556; Wang RCC, Deen MJ, Armstrong D, Fang QY, Development of a catadioptric endoscope objective with forward and side views, Journal of Biomedical Optics, June 2011; 16(6); Ma J, Simkulet M , Smith J, C-view omnidirectional endoscope for minimally invasive surgery/diagnostics, SPIE Proceedings, 2007, 6509: 65090C; Ryusuke S, Takarou E, Tomio Y, Omnidirectional vision attachment for medical endoscopes, OMNIVIS08, 2008: 1st Page to page 14.

Dual vision lenses (also known as "objectives") have been studied by some research groups. However, the reported dual vision objective has no built-in illumination system. See Waye JD, Heigh RI, Fleischer DE et al, A retrograde-viewing device improves detection of adenomas in the colon: a prospective efficacy evaluation (with videos), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, March 2010; 71(3): 551 Pages to page 556; Wang RCC, Deen MJ, Armstrong D, Fang QY, Development of a catadioptric endoscope objective with forward and side views, Journal of Biomedical Optics, June 2011; 16(6); Ma J, Simkulet M , Smith J, C-view omnidirectional endoscope for minimally invasive surgery/diagnostics, SPIE Proceedings, 2007, 6509: 65090C; Ryusuke S, Takarou E, Tomio Y, Omnidirectional vision attachment for medical endoscopes, OMNIVIS 08, 2008: Page 1 Go to page 14. Rather, they rely solely on external illumination from a standard colonoscope. Therefore, the inverted view is partially blocked by the colonoscope itself and the colonoscope front view is partially blocked by the rear view mirror.

Some endoscope designs use two different monitors, one for the front view and one for the rear view, which requires the physician to view both screens simultaneously and make it difficult for the physician to align and position the image. See DeMarco DC, Odstrcil E, Lara LF, et al., Impact of experience with a retrograde-viewing device on adenoma detection rates and withdrawal times during colonoscopy: the Third Eye Retroscope study group, Gastrointestinal endoscopy, March 2010; 71 (3 ): pages 542 to 550.

Dual-vision imaging probes can also be used in robotic surgery and in natural endoscopic surgery (NOTES) to detect in other parts of the body (such as the sinuses, duodenum, digestive tract, chest) A lesion or other structure that is seen. When a forward looking instrument is used, for example, to examine a portion of the digestive tract in a tight bend, the portion of the song The rate may cause the instrument to slide quickly in the tube, which inhibits the curved surface within the portion from being inspected when only the front view is available.

It is therefore desirable to provide a dual vision imaging probe that overcomes the aforementioned difficulties.

The invention described herein solves the above problems by simultaneously imaging a portion of the body, such as the colon, in a front view and a back view, preferably in combination with a 360 degree omnidirectional back field of view. Preferably, such views are supplemented by high contrast imaging techniques to detect polyps or other lesions or structures that have a transformative effect on colorectal cancer and other types of diseases.

An embodiment of the invention relates to an imaging probe comprising: a cylindrical light guide that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of a space in front of the probe; an array of fibers surrounding the cylinder a shaped light guide; and a ring reflector that reflects electromagnetic field radiation from the array in the backward path for illuminating the field of view after the space beside the probe. The probe further includes an image sensor and an objective lens in the imaging path, wherein the front field and the back field are imaged onto the image sensor such that the front field and the back field are opposite on the image sensor One of the fixed spatial relationships is aligned with each other, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path are not blocked by any component of the probe. In this file, the terms "rear", "rearward", "back" and "backward" are used interchangeably, such as "before", "front" and "positive" to".

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an imaging probe comprising: a first component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view in front of the probe; and a second component in a Electromagnetic radiation is supplied in the backward path for illuminating one of the spaces behind the probe; and an image sensor. The probe further includes an imaging device in the imaging path that images the front and back fields of view onto the image sensor, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path are not blocked by any of the components of the probe.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an imaging probe comprising: a first component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a forward view of the probe Figure 2; a second component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a rearward path for illuminating a back field of view of the space beside the probe. The probe further includes an image sensor and an imaging device in the imaging path, wherein the front field and the back field are imaged onto the image sensor such that the front field and the back field are opposite on the image sensor Align one of the fixed spatial relationships with each other.

An additional embodiment of the present invention is directed to a medical device comprising: a housing defining a plurality of channels; and an imaging probe in or attached to one of the channels. The imaging probe includes: a first component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a forward view of the probe; and a second component that supplies electromagnetic radiation for illuminating one of the spaces adjacent to the probe The field supplies battery radiation in a backward path. The imaging probe further includes an image sensor and an imaging system in the imaging path, wherein the front field and the back field are imaged onto the image sensor, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path are not used by the probe Block any component.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an imaging method that includes supplying electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view in a space in front of the probe, and supplying electromagnetic radiation in a backward path for illuminating the probe The back field of view and the imaging field along the imaging path allow the front field and the back field to be imaged onto the image sensor, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path are unobstructed.

All patents, patent applications, articles, books, specifications, standards, other publications, files, and the contents of the entire disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the definitions or use of terms in any of the incorporated publications, files or things and the text of this file, the definition or use of terms in this file shall prevail.

10‧‧‧ imaging probe

12‧‧‧ Ring/Array

14‧‧‧ Ring/Array

16‧‧‧ hollow light guide

18‧‧‧ray

20‧‧‧ space

22‧‧‧Optical dome

24‧‧ ‧ polyps

26‧‧‧ polyps

28‧‧‧ polyps

28'‧‧‧Front field of view (image)

30‧‧‧ polyps

30'‧‧‧Backward field of view (image)

32‧‧‧ 襞

34‧‧‧ Colon

42‧‧‧Ring reflector

44‧‧‧ Space

46‧‧‧ Path

50‧‧‧ Forward imaging path

52‧‧‧Backward imaging path

62‧‧‧ front lens group

64‧‧‧ Rear lens group

66‧‧‧Image sensor

66a‧‧‧ central part

66b‧‧‧ post imaging field of view

68‧‧‧ reflector

74‧‧‧Transmission filter

80‧‧‧ Output signal

82‧‧‧Output signal

84‧‧‧ processor

86‧‧‧ display

88‧‧‧ images

99‧‧‧Lighting/Excitation Filter

100‧‧‧Endoscope/laparoscopic

102‧‧‧Internal instrument channel

104‧‧‧External instrument channel

150a‧‧‧central part

150b‧‧‧ peripheral parts

152‧‧‧ lens

1 is a cross-sectional view of an imaging probe of one embodiment of the present invention, showing a forward illumination path and a backward illumination path.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of some of the components of the imaging probe of Figure 1, showing the forward direction Like path and backward imaging path.

3A is a cross-sectional view of an endoscope of another embodiment of the present invention having a passage for receiving an imaging probe.

Figure 3B is a perspective view of the distal end of the endoscope of Figure 3A.

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing how the endoscope is used to examine the distal end of the endoscope of Figure 3A for examining the colon or small intestine in one of the colon or small intestine.

4B illustrates the display of the field of view and the posterior field of view of the endoscope of FIG. 3A for use in examining the colon or small intestine of FIG. 4A.

5A is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of one of the components of an imaging probe, wherein the forward imaging path is illustrated and wherein both the forward imaging path and the backward imaging path employ the same optical components to illustrate the implementation of FIG. Another embodiment of the invention is different.

5B is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of one of the components of an imaging probe, wherein the backward imaging path is illustrated and wherein both the forward imaging path and the backward imaging path employ the same optical components to illustrate the embodiment of FIG. 5A. .

Figure 6A is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of some of the components of the imaging probe of Figure 1 for illuminating the inspection region.

6B is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of some components of an imaging probe for illustrating one of the alternatives for providing illumination for an examination region.

6C is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of some components of an imaging probe for illustrating one of the alternatives for providing illumination for an examination region.

The same components in this application are labeled with the same numerals.

Embodiments of the invention described herein are addressed and satisfied by a novel approach that is welcomed by physicians worldwide, third party payers, and endoscope and endoscope accessory instrument manufacturers due to the primary impact on one of the most common cancers. Defects of prior art.

In one embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation from the fiber array is re-exacted by a ring reflector Guided to the posterior field of view, the omnidirectional illumination is hidden by the colon pockets and folds of the colon, making the front view endoscope invisible. The electromagnetic radiation for forward illumination is directed from the other fiber array to the endoscope tip by the principle of total internal reflection (TIR) of the hollow cylindrical light guide. The hollow cylindrical light guide can be made of optical plastic or glass. A catadioptric objective is designed such that forward imaging is imaged on the central field of the sensor and 360 degree omnidirectional imaging is imaged on the field outside the sensor. This design provides unobstructed illumination and imaging of the colon in both the forward and backward directions and produces high contrast multimodal images in a single display.

Multimode polarized light (such as white light) and spontaneous fluorescence imaging modalities utilize unique and complementary contrast mechanisms to improve the detection of polyps, including sessile and flat lesions that are difficult to see. Spontaneous fluorescence uses structural and metabolic changes in the tumor to produce images with high contrast. Polarized light imaging removes specular reflection from tissue surfaces, water and mucin and increases image contrast. The addition of polarized electromagnetic radiation and spontaneous fluorescence imaging further enhances lesion detection in this binocular endoscope or probe.

This innovative probe can be used in conjunction with existing endoscopes, which are easily incorporated into current instruments from different manufacturers, making it easier and cheaper for endoscopy physicians to use this product without the expense of a new endoscopy platform. The novel design can be adapted to develop endoscopes for imaging other organs, including the sinuses, lungs, and joint cavities, as well as allowing the surgeon to view structures that are not visible to the normal forward looking instrument during laparoscopic and robotic surgery and during NOTES. . The probe can be passed through a biopsy channel of a standard endoscope or the technology can be built into a dedicated endoscope.

The multi-mode dual view internal view probe in some embodiments of the present invention has a unique illumination and objective lens design that provides simultaneous forward and back illumination and multi-mode imaging without blocking the field of view. As noted above, prior art designs have encountered a blockage due to the detector optics partially blocking illumination or partially obstructing the detector by the illumination optics.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an imaging probe 10 of one embodiment of the present invention, showing a forward illumination path and a backward illumination path. Two rings or arrays of fibers 12 and 14 They are used to supply electromagnetic radiation to the forward illumination path and the backward illumination path, respectively. Electromagnetic radiation from the ring 12 is directed by the hollow light guide 16 (toward the right hand side in Figure 1) to the front end of the probe 10 and appears as a ray 18 to illuminate the space 20 in front of the probe. In this way, the field of view of the probe 10 is illuminated before. The ring 12, the hollow light guide 16, and the front lens group and the rear lens group are contained within and supported by an optical dome 22. The electromagnetic radiation of the front field illumination is directed from the ring 12 by the hollow cylindrical light guide 16 using the principle of Total Internal Reflection (TIR) to appear as the ray 18 on the front end of the probe 10. The hollow cylindrical light guide can be made of optical plastic or glass. The angular span of the illuminating ray 18 can be tailored to the specific application.

Both the light guide and the optical dome are optically transparent and do not block illumination and imaging fields. The illumination and imaging paths are separated to minimize stray light from the optical elements within the dome. A single video image is provided to the physician that provides a unique aspect of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the forward illumination path 18 illuminates the polyps 24, 26, and 28, but does not illuminate the polyp 30 hidden behind the folds 32 in the colon 34. To illuminate the polyp hidden behind the pleats, electromagnetic radiation from the fiber optic ring or array 14 is redirected by a ring reflector 42 along path 46 to the rear field of view such that its omnidirectional illumination is adjacent to the space 44 and by wrinkles (such as Wrinkle 32) Hide areas that are not seen by the front view endoscope. The annular reflector 42 can be mounted on the cylindrical tube 16 in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Just as with forward lighting, the backward illumination angle can be tailored to specific applications.

2 is a cross-sectional view of some of the components of the imaging probe of FIG. 1 showing the forward imaging path 50 (the path within the solid ellipse) and the posterior imaging path 52 (the path within the dashed ellipse). The front lens group 62 images the space 20 and transmits the front field of view through the rear lens group 64 to the central portion 66a of the image sensor 66. The illuminated space 44 next to the probe is first imaged by the aspherical annular reflector 68 and then by the rear lens assembly 64 such that the space 44 is then imaged onto the outer portion of the image sensor 66 or the peripheral portion 66b. The catadioptric objective in the rear lens group 64 is designed such that the center field of the sensor 66 is used for forward imaging and the outer field of the sensor 66 is used for 360 degree omnidirectional imaging.

The optical dome 22 can be made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) which has a low birefringence and very low spontaneous fluorescence when excited at 440 nm. The dome not only protects the optical components and detectors within the dome, but also the lens holder of the current lens assembly 62 and the hollow cylindrical light guide 16 for forward illumination. The rear lens group 64 can include and be mounted to a hollow cylindrical light guide 16 that acts as a lens holder for group 64. Since the light guide and the optical dome are optically transparent, they do not block the illumination field or the imaging field. Thus, as readily seen from Figures 1 and 2, the components of the probe 10 do not block the illumination field or imaging field. In other words, the forward illumination path, the backward illumination path, and the forward imaging path 50 and the backward illumination path 52 are not blocked by any of the components of the probe 10.

Since the relative positional spaces of the forward imaging field of view 66a and the posterior imaging field of view 66b are fixed to the sensor 66, the two video images can be aligned and displayed together so that the endoscope physician can easily relate to the front view Image correlation and determination of the location of the lesion seen on the posterior image.

Dual vision objectives have been studied by some research groups. However, the reported dual vision objective has no built-in illumination system. Rather, they rely solely on external illumination from a standard colonoscope. See Waye JD, Heigh RI, Fleischer DE et al, A retrograde-viewing device improves detection of adenomas in the colon: a prospective efficacy evaluation (with videos), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, March 2010; 71(3): 551 Pages to page 556; Wang RCC, Deen MJ, Armstrong D, Fang QY, Development of a catadioptric endoscope objective with forward and side views, Journal of Biomedical Optics, June 2011; 16(6); Ma J, Simkulet M , Smith J, C-view omnidirectional endoscope for minimally invasive surgery/diagnostics, SPIE Proceedings, 2007; 6509: 65090C; Ryusuke S, Takarou E, Tomio Y, Omnidirectional vision attachment for medical endoscopes, OMNIVIS 08, 2008: Page 1 Go to page 14. Thus, in such prior art systems, both front and rear illumination are partially blocked by the objective lens. In addition, the rear view is used as described above. The mechanical lens holder portion of the lens group is partially blocked prior to forward imaging. A single image in some system embodiments is not feasible in competing technologies, such as the Third Eye Retroscope, which uses two different monitors, requiring the physician to view both screens simultaneously and making it difficult for the physician to align and position the image.

Polarization illumination and detection can be used in embodiments of the invention described herein to remove specular reflections from mucosal, water, and mucin and enhance the visibility of diseased tissue. This can be accomplished by placing a polarizer (not shown) between the radiation source (also shown) and the fiber rings 12 and 14 or by placing an analyzer (i.e., a polarizer) 72 on the imaging optics. This is achieved between imaging sensors 66. This design also allows the lesion to be more easily seen with high contrast by capturing scattered electromagnetic radiation from within the tissue and removing unwanted specular reflections.

In addition to or instead of polarized white light imaging, the system can also incorporate a series of excitation wavelengths, such as 280 nm, 340 nm, or 440 nm, for spontaneous fluorescence imaging to improve lesion contrast. To this end, a transmit filter 74 can be used to block the reflection of the radiation that illuminates the forward and backward fields of view but transmits the radiation from the spontaneous fluorescence emission from the front and back fields to the sense as in FIG. 66. The sensor 66 can include a CMOS device or a CCD. The positions of analyzer 72 and transmit filter 74 in Figure 2 are interchangeable and transmit filter 74 can be placed anywhere in the imaging path.

An illumination or excitation filter 99 (such as the one shown in the dashed line in FIG. 1) can also be placed anywhere in the illumination path of forward path 18 and backward path 46 to deliver wavelengths of narrow bands for Imaging of the forward and backward fields of view. The imaging mode of probe 10 is switched by changing the illumination spectrum, such as by selecting an appropriate illumination or excitation filter or transmit filter 74.

In this manner, the probe 10 has multi-mode operational capabilities, where appropriate operational modes can be selected for any particular application, such as white light, polarized light, fluorescent, and narrowband imaging.

For a numerical aperture of an objective lens of 0.2 on the sensor side, the corresponding F/# can be 2.5. here In an example, the front field of view may be +/- 45 degrees and the 360° omnidirectional back field of view is preferably from 100° to 140° backwards. The two imaging fields share a lens group 64 that is adjacent to the sensor, but a non-front lens group 62 that is only used to image the front field of view. The rear field of view is also imaged onto the sensor 66 by the reflector 68 and then by the rear lens assembly 64. The imaging field of view can be tailored to a particular application by the different optical schemes of the rear lens group 64 and the front lens group 62.

Current technology to increase the contrast of lesions

Recent advances in endoscopic imaging, such as Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) and Elastic Imaging Color Enhancement (FICE), have not improved polyp detection rates beyond the detection rates achieved with high-resolution white light endoscopy. High-risk zigzag lesions are difficult to see because they are easily sessile or flat and have poor color contrast. Pigment endoscopy can increase the detection of such tumors, but it is time consuming, difficult to understand, and has not been accepted for clinical practice by busy endoscopic physicians with limited time for procedures. Endoscopes with spontaneous fluorescence imaging have been developed to assist in the detection of polyps and tumors with poor contrast. Small studies have shown that spontaneous fluorescent endoscopy can improve polyp detection, but the results can be further improved by combining dual vision capabilities.

Image overlay

As shown in FIG. 2 and as described above, the central portion 66a of the CMOS sensor 66 captures an image through the front lens group 62 and the outer portion 66b transmits an image from the rear field through the reflector 68. The reflector 68 is preferably not Spherical. The output signals 80, 82 representing the front and rear fields from the central portion and the outer portion can then be processed by a processor 84 that sends a signal to a display 86 for displaying the front field of view together with the same image 88. Field of view. At the same time, a front field of view (F) and a back field of view (B) are displayed on a monitor (Fig. 2), with the center area for the front field of view and the outer ring for the 360 degree omnidirectional back field of view. The FR image 88 is displayed on the same monitor 84, alternating color images. In the case of a large backsight field, it also covers many lateral fields of view. One or more of the objective lenses of the front group 62 and the rear group 64 may be a zoom lens such that the magnification and angle of the front field and the backward field of view of the probe for illumination and imaging can be adjusted as needed. The magnification and angle of the front field and the backward field of view of the probe used for illumination and imaging can also be moved by using Figure 1 and One or more of the front lens group 62 and/or the rear lens group 64 are adjusted in FIG. 2 and the lens 152 in FIGS. 5A and 5B is moved.

While the probe 10 can be used as a single independent imaging probe or endoscope, it is also suitable for use with any endoscopic and surgical instrument having a surgical access as shown in Figure 3A. 3A is a cross-sectional view of an endoscope of another embodiment of the present invention having a passage for receiving an imaging probe. Figure 3B is a perspective view of the distal end of the endoscope of Figure 3A. As shown in FIG. 3A, the probe 10 can be delivered to an endoscopic or laparoscope 100 internal instrument channel 102 for use during endoscopic or surgical (laparoscopic or robotic surgery). Alternatively, it can be carried in an external instrument channel 104 of one of the endoscope or laparoscope 100.

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing how the endoscope is used to examine one of the distal ends of the endoscope 100 of Figure 3A for examining the colon or small intestine in one of the colon 34 or the small intestine. 4B illustrates the display of the field of view and the posterior field of view of the endoscope of FIG. 3A for use in examining the colon or small intestine of FIG. 4A. Thus, in a manner similar to that described above, when the probe 10 is used as an independent inspection probe, the probe 10 carried in the endoscope 100 can be used to detect a lesion (such as lesion 28) in the foresight field and for The lesion 30 is detected in the posterior field of view. One of the front field of view (image) 28' of the lesion 28 and one of the posterior field of view (image) 30' of the lesion 30 are displayed as aligned images on the same monitor 86. The relative sizes of the respective fields of view can be customized for a particular application.

Multiphoton microscopy

For 2-photon and 3-photon (multiphoton) microscopy, cells or tissues can be excited by almost simultaneous absorption of two/three long wavelengths. For example, in combination with 2-photon microscopy, two photons have the same effect as a single photon with twice the energy but half the wavelength. Longer wavelengths are used in multiphoton imaging to achieve deeper penetration of tissue with less damage to cells in the focal plane. Exogenous fluorescent markers as well as native fluorescence can be calibrated to produce high resolution, high contrast tissue images. This was rapidly developed for imaging, including in-vivo microscopy. Thus, suitable wavelengths for front field and back field illumination can be selected to be in any of the present invention or Multiphoton microscopy is achieved in various embodiments.

application

The probe 10 can be repeatedly inserted into a parent instrument or a plumbing instrument and removed to allow biopsy and surgery to be performed through the same (single) operational channel of an endoscope. This allows a single channel of the endoscope to be used for dual vision imaging and biopsy or resection during a single procedure.

The probe 10 can be easily removed and cleared of mucus or debris as needed during surgery without the need to remove the parent/duct device (laparoscopic or endoscope).

The probe 10 can be combined with multi-mode capabilities during endoscopic or surgical procedures to locate lesions that are not seen in conventional endoscopy or surgery; for example, polyps behind the folds in the colon and wrinkles hidden in the small intestine Posterior vasodilation and tumor detection.

The probe 10 can be used in a robotic procedure of a body cavity, such as a thoracic cavity, to provide dual vision multimodal imaging such as hilar or main blood vessels, nerves, or important structures that are not visible with existing instruments that provide limited forward looking imaging.

The probe 10 can be used to provide a currently available forward and backward omnidirectional view during endoscopic endoscopic surgery and during natural endoscopic endoscopic surgery (NOTES).

The probe 10 can be used in multiple locations of the body, for example, during pelvic surgery, arthroscopy, and sinus examination to provide a view of the currently invisible area.

The probe 10 can be used to facilitate safe and accurate insertion of the instrument into the body cavity, such as the positioning of a dual lumen endotracheal tube during chest and lung surgery.

Instead of front field imaging and back field imaging, one of several different components is used for optical design. In another embodiment, the same optical component is used in both front field imaging and back field imaging, which is illustrated in Figure 5A. And in Figure 5B. 5A is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of one of the components of an imaging probe, wherein the forward imaging path is illustrated and wherein both the forward imaging path and the backward imaging path employ the same optical components to illustrate the implementation of FIG. Another embodiment of the invention is different. Figure 5B is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of one of the components of an imaging probe, wherein the backward imaging path is illustrated and wherein the forward imaging path is followed by The same optical components are employed for both imaging paths to illustrate the embodiment of Figure 5A.

In the embodiment of Figures 5A, 5B, optical component 150 includes a central portion 150a that transmits electromagnetic radiation and a peripheral portion 150b that reflects one of the electromagnetic radiation. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5A, the central portion 150a transmits electromagnetic radiation from the space 20 in front of the probe through the lens 152 toward the sensor 66 (not shown). As shown in Figure 5B, the peripheral portion 150b reflects the electromagnetic radiation from the space 44 beside the probe and passes through the lens 152 toward the sensor 66 (not shown). The embodiment of Figures 5A, 5B is advantageous in that the same optical element is used for the forward field imaging path and the backward field of view imaging path. In addition to the above differences, the probes of the embodiment of Figures 5A, 5B are similar to the probes of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6A is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of some of the components of the imaging probe of Figure 1 for illuminating the inspected area. In Figure 6A, the bundles in the array or rings 12 and 14 are used to supply electromagnetic radiation. Figure 6B is a partial cross-sectional and partial perspective view of some of the components of an imaging probe for illustrating one of the alternatives for providing illumination of an inspected area. Instead of using the fiber bundles in the array or rings 12 and 14 of Figure 6A, the LEDs can be mounted directly or placed close to the hollow light guide 16 or reflector 42 (not shown) to supply electromagnetic radiation. In the present embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation supplied by the LEDs is transmitted by the light guide 16 and appears as a ray 18 as in FIG. Figure 6C is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial perspective view of some of the components of an imaging probe for illustrating one of the alternatives for providing illumination of the inspected area. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation supplied by the LED bypasses the light guide 16 and directly illuminates the space 20 in front of the probe.

The embodiments shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 6B, and 6C can be used in any one or more of the applications described herein.

While the invention has been described herein with reference to the embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧ imaging probe

12‧‧‧ Ring/Array

14‧‧‧ Ring/Array

16‧‧‧ hollow light guide

18‧‧‧ray

20‧‧‧ space

22‧‧‧Optical dome

24‧‧ ‧ polyps

26‧‧‧ polyps

28‧‧‧ polyps

30‧‧‧ polyps

32‧‧‧ 襞

34‧‧‧ Colon

42‧‧‧Ring reflector

44‧‧‧ Space

46‧‧‧ Path

99‧‧‧Lighting/Excitation Filter

Claims (27)

An imaging probe comprising: a cylindrical light guide that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of a space in front of the probe; an array of optical fibers surrounding the cylindrical light guide; a circular reflection Reflecting electromagnetic radiation from the array in a backward path for illuminating a rear field of view in one of the spaces adjacent to the probe; an image sensor; an objective lens in the imaging path that causes the front field of view and The rear field of view is imaged onto the image sensor such that the front field of view and the back field of view are aligned on the image sensor in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to one another, wherein the forward path, the forward path, the The backward path and the imaging paths are not blocked by any of the components of the probe. An imaging probe comprising: a first component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of a space in front of the probe; and a second component that supplies electromagnetic in a backward path Radiation is used to illuminate one of the spaces behind the probe; an image sensor; an imaging device in the imaging path that images the front field and the back field onto the image sensor, wherein The forward path, the backward path, and the imaging paths are not blocked by any of the components of the probe. The probe of claim 2, wherein the imaging device comprises a plurality of objective lenses, and the front field of view and the rear field of view are imaged onto the image sensor by the same objective lens of the imaging device. The probe of claim 3, wherein the imaging device comprises an element having a transmission A central portion and a peripheral portion of the reflection. The probe of claim 4, wherein the transmissive portion transmits electromagnetic radiation in the forward field of view in front of the probe and the peripheral portion reflects electromagnetic radiation in the rear field of view of the space beside the probe. The probe of claim 2, wherein the imaging device comprises a first group of objective lenses and a second group of objective lenses, wherein the first and second fields are not identical, and the front field and the rear field are respectively The objective lens of the group and the objective lens of the second group are imaged onto the image sensor. The probe of claim 6, wherein the objective lens of the second group comprises a ring reflector. The probe of claim 2, wherein the imaging device images the front field of view and the back field of view such that the front field of view and the back field of view are fixed in spatial relationship with respect to one of the image fields on the image sensor quasi. The probe of claim 8 further comprising a processor configured to display the aligned front and rear fields of view on a display. The probe of claim 2, wherein the imaging device comprises a zoom lens such that the magnification of the imaging device is adjustable. The probe of claim 2, wherein the first component and the second component each comprise a light guide, the probe further comprising an LED positioned adjacent to the light guides of the first component and the second component. The probe of claim 2, the first component and the second component each comprise at least one LED. The probe of claim 2, wherein the rear field of view is omnidirectional. The probe of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic radiation supplied by the second component for illuminating a space beside the probe is omnidirectional. The probe of claim 2, the first component or the second component comprises an illumination or excitation filter. The probe device of claim 2, the imaging device comprising a transmit filter. The probe of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic radiation supplied in the forward path or the backward path is polarized. An imaging probe comprising: a first component that supplies electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of a space in front of the probe; and a second component that supplies electromagnetic in a backward path Radiation is used to illuminate one of the spaces behind the probe; an image sensor; an imaging device in the imaging path that images the front field and the rear field onto the image sensor such that The front field of view and the back field of view are aligned on the image sensor in a fixed spatial relationship relative to one another. The probe of claim 18, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path are not blocked by any of the components of the probe. A medical instrument comprising: (a) a housing defining a plurality of channels; and (b) an imaging probe in or attached to one of the channels, comprising: a first component Providing electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of the space in front of the probe; a second element supplying electromagnetic radiation for illuminating a rear field of view of the space beside the probe and Supplying electromagnetic radiation in a backward path; an image sensor; an imaging device in the imaging path that images the front field of view and the back field of view onto the image sensor, wherein the forward path, thereafter The path and the imaging paths are not blocked by any of the components of the probe. The medical device of claim 20, wherein the instrument is an endoscope, a laparoscope or an arthroscope. An imaging method comprising: supplying electromagnetic radiation in a forward path for illuminating a front field of view of a space in front of the probe; and supplying electromagnetic radiation in a backward path for illuminating one of the spaces beside the probe a field of view; imaging the front field of view and the back field of view to an image sensor along an imaging path, wherein the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging paths are not blocked. The method of claim 22, wherein the electromagnetic radiation supplied in the forward path and the backward path is white light, polarized electromagnetic radiation, narrow-band electromagnetic radiation, fluorescent light, or electromagnetic radiation selected for multiphoton imaging. The method of claim 22, further comprising adjusting the magnification of the image. The method of claim 24, wherein the adjusting is by adjusting a zoom lens. The method of claim 22, further comprising adjusting a front field of view of the space in front of the probe or a back field of view or a space adjacent to the probe. The method of claim 26, wherein the adjusting is by moving one or more objective lenses in the forward path, the backward path, and the imaging path.